Coyote, I'll be a little more direct than others. People can't believe you chose this as your first R/C plane. It is a nice plane, but definitely not for beginners. The thought of you choosing this as a first plane is so outrageous that they think you fabricated the story to get attention. On the internet, this kind of thing is called "trolling".

I'll give you the benefit of doubt and provide a short list of the things you should do if you are serious.
1) Immediately stop work on the Phaeton. It is not a trainer plane and you should not even complete it before you've got experience with simpler planes. Put it in a safe place and get back to it when you have more experience.

2) Find a local R/C club or instructor. Some people have learned to fly without help. Most who try this crash their planes within the first 10-15 seconds. After going through several rounds of crashing and repairing, many give up. The few who survive usually go through way more repairs and $$ than was necessary. An instructor helps you avoid all of this.

3) Spend some time searching RCU for advice on trainers, radios, and engines. There's lots of choices, and these subjects have been thoroughly discussed.

4) AFTER you've made contact with an instructor, buy a trainer, radio, and engine. If you've already got a radio, you can use it in your trainer. Generally, people suggest .45 size ARF trainers. Since you've obviously decided to go bigger, you could also look at .60 size trainers. I haven't heard of people starting with 1.20 or larger engines, but I guess it's possible. However, the larger the trainer, the harder it cra$hes. If you prefer kits, and want something really big, the Sr Telemaster from Hobby Lobby might work for you.

Good luck